The protective gear worn by motorcycle riders should be relatively rugged to protect the rider in the event of a spill from the vehicle at high speeds. Such protective gear preferably includes not only a helmet to protect the rider's head from injury, but also garments or outerwear which provide protective coverings for the rider's torso, arms and legs to prevent or minimize injuries that might arise from abrasion and laceration. Materials for the protective outerwear should be durable and rugged, yet relatively flexible and lightweight, aerodynamic, and asthetically appealing.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,704,064, 5,507,042, 5,752,277 and 5,596,769, issued to van der Sleesen and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, disclose representative protective garments for motorcycle riders.
Although such garments are preferably made of a durable material, such as leather, additional protection may be conferred to the rider by including protective armor or shielding in portions of the garments which cover vulnerable areas of the rider's body, such as, for example, the elbows, knees, shoulders, ribs, stomach, and lower back. In the prior art, such protective armor is typically permanently attached to the inside or outside of the garment in the desired locations, or it is removably inserted into specially designed pockets on the garment. Materials for the protective armor are typically lightweight, durable and relatively rigid.
Such protective gear, although advisable for rider safety, tends to be relatively heavy, bulky and hot, and many riders choose not to ride in it.
Vented protective garments were developed in an attempt to overcome the problem of overheating. In such a garment, the rider is not only protected from abrasions in the event of a spill, but is also cooled by air flowing into and through the garment.
One-piece vented protective suits were also developed to protect the rider over his entire body, while also providing cooling airflow to various portions of the body through the suit. Such suits typically are entered through a front zipper or closure element which extends roughly from the collar to the crotch area.
Unfortunately, these protective garments are still relatively bulky and uncomfortable for the rider to wear. The wearer's movements are somewhat restricted when he is wearing the protective garment, due to the ruggedness and relative bulk of the garment, especially if the garment includes protective armor plates or inserts. Also, unless the protective armor is properly located, it may not protect the rider if he suffers a spill and falls on a portion of his body not covered by the armor. Therefore, for comfort, the rider may still choose to avoid wearing the necessary protective garments, especially on warm days or when he is only riding a short distance. Anytime the rider fails to don protective gear, however, the risk of at least superficial injuries increases significantly.
It would therefore be advantageous to provide a protective garment for motorcycle riders which is sufficiently durable and lightweight to protect the rider without being excessively bulky, hot or uncomfortable.